FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a printed circuit board connector having contact elements for electrically connecting contacts of at least two electrical printed circuit boards, and having retaining devices that retain the contact elements in their intended position inside the printed circuit board connector.
Such printed circuit board connectors are known in great numbers.
The increasing complexity of printed circuit boards that are to be connected necessitates the use of printed circuit board connectors with ever higher numbers of poles. Moreover, the demands of quality are increasing as well. Such demands include, among others, demands for strength and reliability of the electrical connections that can be made by the printed circuit board connectors (high contact forces).
Printed circuit board connectors that meet those demands are being put in contact with the printed circuit boards to be connected to one another, and in a connection position of those printed circuit boards a not inconsiderable force, which necessitates a correspondingly stable construction of those elements, is exerted upon the retaining devices that keep the contact elements in their intended position within the printed circuit board connector, on the printed circuit board connector housing, and on the connections between the retaining devices and the contact elements as well as between the retaining devices and the printed circuit board connector housing.
However, an especially stable construction of those elements results in an increase in their size and is thus contrary to the further demand that the printed circuit board connectors be kept as small as possible or be made with the highest possible contact element density.